After a virtually even split in the electorate, resulting in the narrow defeat of the repeal of the Winter Overnight Parking Ban, the Yes and No campaigns have issued a joint statement saying they have joined forces to lobby the City Council for a comprehensive parking plan.
In a near record-setting turnout, 23,140 of Newton’s 60,321 registered voters cast their ballots in last week’s municipal election. Of that number, 22,143 voted on the Ballot Question calling for repeal of Newton’s four-month nightly on-street parking ban. Before results were announced, supporters on both sides of the question and political activists could not predict which side would win. According to the City’s unofficial results, 11,031 voted for the repeal and 11,112 voted against – a difference of only 81 votes defeating the repeal.
The winter parking ban has been in effect since 1936. Proposals to repeal the ban have been before the City Council multiple times and defeated each time, most recently in 2023 with a 21 to 3 vote.
Even before the election demonstrating the virtually even split, the two leading sides of the issue – Jeremy Freudberg and Peter Klapes, who spent the last three years trying to engage the City Council and then collected signature to put the repeal on the ballot, and Teresa Gentile Sauro and Fran Yerardi, who opposed the ban – were meeting to find a path to their common goal. Mr. Yerardi called Mr. Freudberg to suggest that the two sides meet to discuss their positions and, according to Mr. Yerardi, they realized they agreed on about 70% of their priorities. “Fighting won’t solve the problem,” he said.
Both Mr. Freudberg and Mr. Klapes agree that they are committed to working together with Mrs. Sauro and Mr. Yerardi to be sure that the City Council addresses the need for a comprehensive parking plan. Mr. Klapes echoed Mr. Yerardi and Mrs. Sauro in explaining that they are friends and have been in communication and committed to pushing the City Council to act. Mr. Yerardi stressed the importance of compromise and “working together for the greater good.” Mrs. Sauro added that “if we can send a man to the moon, we should be able to figure out a parking plan.” Moreover, she believes that there should be representatives for every ward because they would be more familiar with their ward’s parking needs.” Mr. Yerardi emphasized the model of “two groups fighting together now working together.”
Both Mr. Freudberg and Mr. Klapes said that needs for parking vary by street, not necessarily by neighborhood, and both believe that putting parking on the ballot drew the large voter turnout. They noted that the four-month, four-hour ban has led to hardships for people needing 24-hour caregivers who are unable to park nearby, or single parents who need to bring their children to school or day care.
Mr. Yerardi suggested that if the City required developers to provide two-car, onsite parking for every unit, that would eliminate the need for high-volume parking on neighborhood streets. For both the “Yes” and “No” proponents, college students home for the winter break and overnight holiday visitors present a challenge if driveways are inadequate to accommodate additional cars. “Both sides promised voters we would come up with a plan, and both sides made promises to one another before, during, and after” the campaign,” Mr. Klapes said.
Asked about whether he was committed to providing resources for a comprehensive parking study, Mayor Elect Marc Laredo explained that he would need to consider the cost of a study, but, “I am committed to working on it.”
